Combination rail bond and connecting plate



Aug. 15, 1933. v R N 1,922,105

COMBINATION RAIL BOND AND CONNECTING PLATE Filed Feb. 10, 1932 INVENTORVEIT'LEF L. Mal Tin ATTORNE Patented Aug. 15, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE COMBINATION RAIL BOND AND CONNECT- ING PLATE Verner L. Martin,Mount Hope, W. Va., as-

signor of one-half to Edward J. McCool,

MacDonald, W. Va.

This invention relates to combination rail bonds and splice plates forattachment to rails, which rails function in part as conductors ofelectricity.

In bonding rails which are intended to act as conductors as well asprovide trackage, the attachment of ordinary rail bonds is a slowprocedure, and frequently some joints are accidently left unbonded orthe bond, after a time, becomes loosened and may drop off. It has beenfound, especially in mines, where only a limited number of men areequipped to perform this bonding, that it is often impossible to keepthe rails bonded up to the working face where mining machines are inoperation and locomotives are starting their loaded cars and inconsequence the electrical energy requirements are greater.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a device which, as aunit, embodies a rail bond and splice plate and is easily and quicklyattachable to the ends of two adjacent rails, bridging the joint, as isan ordinary splice plate.

Another object is to provide a combination device of this kind whichrequires no special preliminary treatment of the rail before bonding andonly the tools ordinarily used in attaching splice plates are requiredto affix the combination device.

Another object is to provide a device of this kind which aids inretaining the nuts of the associate track bolts in place, and thusprevents the device from becoming loosened.

Still another object is to provide a combina tion rail bond and spliceplate which is economical to manufacture and use.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will be apparent duringthe course of the following detailed description, taken in connectionwith the accompanying drawing, and in which drawing:--

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the improved combination railbond andsplice plate, a part being broken away to better illustrate a portion ofthe construction. 7

Figure 2 is a plan view of the improved device shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of the improved device appliedto the joint at the ends of two adjacent rails.

Figure 4 is a sectional view on the line 44 of Figure 3.

In the drawing, wherein for the purpose of illustration is shown only apreferred embodi- 'ment of the invention, the letters A and A designatetwo adjacent rails, secured together and bonded by the improveddevice'B, with a conventional splice plate C and securing means D forsecuring the portions A, A, B and C together.

The rails A and A are of conventional railway track construction andinclude side flanges 10, web portions 11 and heads 12, the web portionsbeing provided with a suitable number of punchings or holes 13. As iswell known, in laying tracks, the ends of the rails are aligned andspaced apart as shown at 14 in Figure 3. The improved combined rail bondand splice plate includes an elongate body portion 20 which may have theshape of the ordinary splice or fish plate and provided with theconventional punchings or holes 21. This body portion may be of anyapproved length and include any number of punchings corresponding to thenumber of the same in the web portions 11 of the two adjacent ends ofrailsA and A. 1

This body portion may be beveled at top and bottom as at 22 and 23 so'asto be wedged between the heads 12 and side flanges 10 of adjacent railsA and A. To the inner or narrower face 24 of the body portion 20 issecured by any approved means, as by welding, a contact terminal 25which preferably includes an elongate strip of copper or similar metalwith the ends folded or doubled over forming a pair of wings 26 ofsubstantially U-shaped cross section, the longer fold or leg 27 of eachwing being bent outwardly from the face 24 of the body portion as at 28,where it contacts with the body portion, while the opposite or shorterleg 29 confronts the face 24 with its free end 30 preferably in contactwith the face as shown in Figure 2. Thus the free end or bight end 31 ofeach wing is normally spaced from the face 24 with the wing forming withthe face an acute angle. The intermediate portion 32 of the strip ofcopper is fiat against the face 24 and it is this portion which iswelded or otherwise secured to the plate. Each leg 29 preferably closeto its axial center is provided with one or more lugs 33 and 34 whichmay be formed by slitting the metal forming the legs 29 and turning theslitted metal inwardly towards the confronting longer legs 27. It ispreferred that the lug 33 be longer than the lug 34 so that theextremity of the free end of the longer lug may bite into the leg 27when the two legs are drawn towards each other.

Between each confronting pair of legs 27 and 29 is carried a resilientmember such as a spring steel washer 40 of conventional construction.These washers are prevented from dropping out of the pockets or spaces41 formed between the confronting legs since the lugs 33 and 34 projectinto the holes within the washers and against the bodies of the washersas shown Figure 3. The washers, of course, urge the two arms apart untilthe end 30 of the arm 29 comes into contact with the face 24 of the bodyportion 20.

The splice plate C is of conventional construction and includes the bodyportion .50 provided with the necessary holes or punchings 51 andbeveled at top and bottom as at 52 and 53.

The securing means D may be standard track bolts 60 provided with screwthreaded shanks 61 and screw threaded nuts 62. V

Since the rail bond and splice plate comprises a single unit, each timea pair of rails A and A are secured together, a good electrical contactis established between them. and without any specialv treatment of therails or adjustment of the contact, neither is the contact such that itwill be broken by expansion or contraction of the rails.

, The improved device B is applied by ordinary tools, with the face 24confronting the web portion 11 of the two adjacent rails A and A andwhen the punchings in the device B are in alignment with the punchingsin the rails A, A and splice plate C, the bolts are inserted and tihtened, drawing the device B towards the web portions 11 of the railsuntil the arms 29 are tight against the faces of the web portions, the

" arms 2'7 tight against the face 2% of the body portion 20 and at whichtime the spring washers will have assumed a flattened or nearlyflattened shape. Because the washers will be urging the body portion 20away from the web portions of the rails, the nuts 62 will be moresecurely held in place by the pressure exerted and will not be apt tobecome 1oosened. However, the device may be quickly removed.

It will be observed from Figure 4 that the contact cannot drop or workout of-contact even if it should become detached from the body portions20 since the shanks 61 of the bolts 60 prevent any perceptiblelongitudinal movement and the flanges 10 and heads 12 of the railsprevent any great movement laterally.

The improved device comprises but four parts,the body portion 20 and thecontact terminal 25 carrying the pair of spring washers 40, and itsmanufacture cost is consequently low.

Various changes may be made to the form of invention herein shown anddescribed, without departing from the spirit of the invention or thescope of the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a combination rail bond and splice plate, an elongate bodyportion, and a'substantially U- shaped member of electrical energyconducting metal securedat substantially the end of one of its legs-to aface of said body portion at substantially the lateral medial line ofsaid body portion, with the bight portion of said member,

normally extending away from said body portion and with the free leg ofsaid member extending toward said body portion.

2. In a combination rail bond and splice plate,

an elongate body portion, and a substantially U-shaped member ofelectrical energy conductmetal secured at substantially the end of oneof its legs to a face of said body portion at substantially the lateralmedial line of said body portion, with the bight portion of said membernormally extending away from said body portion and with the free leg ofsaid member extending toward and in contact with said body portion.

3. In a combination rail bond and splice plate, an elongate bodyportion, a wing of substantial LJ-shaped cross section and of electricalconducting material secured at an end of one leg to crime of said bodyportion with the end of the other leg in contact with said body portion,said first named leg being longer than the last named leg, and the bightportion of said wing spaced from said body portion, and a resilientmember carried between said legs urging them apart. T e

a. In a combination rail bond and splice plate, an elongate bodyportion, a wing of electrical energy conducting material formed of astrip of material foldedto'provide substantially parallel legs unequallength, said wing secured to a face said body portion at the end of thelonger leg, and a member of resilient material carried between said legsurging them apart and J tially parallel legs of unequal length, saidwing secured to the face of said body portion at the end of thelonger'leg and projecting outwardly from said face, said face and longerleg form ing 'an acute angle, and a member of resilient material carriedbetweensaid legs urging them apart and the shorter leg towards said bodyportion.

6. In a combination rail bond and splice plate, an elongate bodyportion, a wing of electrical energy conducting material formed of astrip of material folded to provide a pair of substan-. tially flatlegs, paralleling each other and ofunequal length, said wing secured toa face of said body portion atthe. end of the longer leg and projectingoutwardly from said face, said face and longer leg forming an acuteangle, and .a member of resilient material carried between said legsurging them apart and the shorter leg towards said body portion,

7. In a combination rail bond and splice plate, an elongate bodyportion, a wing of electrical energy conducting material formed of astrip of material folded to provide a pair of substantially flat legs,paralleling each. other and of unequal length, said wing secured to aface of said body portion at the end of the longer leg and projectingoutwardly from said face, said face and longer leg forming an acuteangle and one of said legs provided with 2. lug projecting towards theother leg, and a metallic spring washer encircling said lug andsupported there by between said legs, urging them apart.

VERNER L. MARTIN.

